None of us want to think about our deaths but, research has found that we are actually more likely to die on our birthdays.
Now, there are two ways of looking at this — one is that it’s very bleak to die on what should be celebratory but another is that the circle of life has completed and you’re leaving during the same season you arrived during.
Which is kind of beautiful.
So, first of all, it could simply be because we are more likely to indulge in alcohol around our birthdays, according to BBC Science Focus. How many times have you had more shots because it’s your birthday?
Drinking can lead to poor decision-making and even fatal accidents.
BBC Science Focus also posited that terminally ill people often have milestones they’d like to reach and ‘hold out’ until they reach their birthday.
A 2016 study in Japan also found that people are 50% more likely to take their own lives on their birthdays.
According to Talkspace: “Not everyone feels happy on their birthday. For some people, birthdays can be a source of sadness, anxiety, and dread.
“Also known as birthday blues or the birthday effect, birthday depression can cause you to experience intense, negative feelings in the weeks and days leading up to and on your birthday.”
While all of these are possible suggestions, a 2012 study found that it’s a little more nuanced.
Researchers looked at the mortality data of nearly 2.4 million Swiss people over the age of 1 from 1969 to 2008 and they discovered that there was a 13.% increase in the potential for death on somebody’s birthday, with the rate rising to 18% for those over 60.
The main causes of these deaths were actually long-gestating cardiovascular issues such as heart attacks, illnesses like cancer, and even accidents like falls. Men were actually 44% more likely to die by falling on their birthday.
Maybe on your next birthday, make sure you’re partying safely.
